Openings and tunnels

Peter Goldberg, in conjunction with The Narragansett Bay Commission, is showing photographs of the Combined Sewer Overflow Project (CSO) and is exhibiting with me the first week or so of my show. His opening is on November 12, from 4 to 7 pm. Since my work will be up as well, it's another chance to snag a glass of white wine in a plastic cup while viewing it.

This photo is from my journey down to the center of the earth, but I'm curious to see Peter's photos. I'm fascinated by the CSO project (see my slideshows of The Utility Shaft and The Main Shaft). Alas, the tunnel is now sealed so there is no hope of getting down there again. I am going to try to go to the opening unless I am frantically finishing up details of my show. Peter's work will come down on November 25, at which time I will put up more of my paintings to make it the one person show that I thought it would be from the start.

The gallery is also open on Gallery Night on November 20, so it works out that there will be 4 receptions during my show, November 12, 20, 15 and 29, all from 4 to 7. The opening on the 29th will include the new paintings I've added. Confusing? I'm sure, but after all this work, I'm not going to say no to festivities and wine.

Election/Exhibit Day approaches

It seems like forever that I've been juggling with the dual obsessions of this show and the elections. After the show is on the walls and Obama is elected (Hope!) I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe sleep, exercise, walk, socialize, attend art events, shop, clean, read, see a movie...all the things I've put aside for months.

But my frames are mostly assembled, and I'm starting to attach the paintings. I'm amazed at all the hardware I have to buy to accomplish this task. But I guess it's not that surprising considering I have 20 paintings to frame. They have to be delivered in less than two weeks, so I think I'm on track, but without a moment to spare.

Now if I can just get some press releases in the mail...

Warren Walkabout

I went back to the shoemaker's shop for the fourth time about a week ago to visit my machines during the annual Warren Walkabout. It's a bit disconcerting to see them, they're familiar and strange at the same time. Some seem smaller, almost like miniature models, in others I see new details that I want to rush back and incorporate into my paintings. This was probably my last visit, chances are good that I'll be moving on to a different subject after my show, although I'm still not sure what. The natural world always seems to be what I plan to return to, but a chance encounter, like that with shoe machines, can divert me.

While in Warren I talked with the shoemaker himself, Tim Noonan, and to my surprise he had not heard of St. Hugh, although he was very familiar with the other patron saint of shoemakers, St. Crispin. He showed me a hammer with "Crispin" stamped in the metal head, and a tool he uses actually made out of a bone, though I doubt it was St. Hugh's bone.

Looking good while lying

Okay. I wouldn't care how much Sarah Palin spends for clothes. I wouldn't even care if the Republican National Committee paid for her whole family's makeover (although their donors might). What I can't stand is their damned hypocrisy. Their "just like you" "small town values" b.s.

You know who's more like me?



Notice who gets the credit card bills for this family. And you can't script these little kids. This video was recorded in July, when celebrity Palin was just a twinkle in John McCain's eye.

The perfect cup

It's great to have the first cup of coffee in the studio. Unfortunately I had to go to work about an hour later, after putting a coat of paint on my frames. A good way to start the day though!

chaos

No, I'm not talking about Wall St., I'm talking about my studio. I like to think I keep it pretty organized, but it always gets like this in the weeks before a show.


In fact, here it is right before my Russia show, the last time that I went all out making frames.


I'll be glad to deliver the paintings to the gallery in about 4 weeks (gulp) and sweep it out.

But once the show is up and the cold weather settles in I'm not sure how often I'll be able to work in this studio. I managed to hang on to my day job, which these days is a good thing, but the bummer part is that they are probably going to change my schedule so I might not get back home to my studio till 6 or 7. Since it takes about 2 hours to warm up the space in the dead of winter, it will mean starting at 8 or 9 at night. I'll do it somehow though...I'm not going to stop doing my work just cause I have to make a little money.

Like a lot of people, I've been obsessed with politics lately. I must check the polls a dozen times a day. I'm liking what I see though, I hope we can keep it going. I'm also glad to see so many art blogs I visit have gotten political and show their support for Obama, so I know I'm not the only artist being distracted by this critical election. The more we are subjected to the dirty campaigning of McCain and Palin, the more I'm convinced that they deserve to lose even more than Obama deserves to win. If like me, you've been appalled by the anger filled McCain/Palin rallies, Edward Winkleman turns the anger back where it belongs.

September report

September started out strong for painting days, but I've had to change into framing mode for the last few weeks, and have had to think about all the promotion stuff as well. Sometimes I dream of delegating some of the practical matters of having a show, but as the date gets closer, I find it seems easier just to do it myself. The invitations were sent off to Modern Postcard this morning though, so that's done. Now to get my mailing list in shape. I'm going to design a web invite as well, and will post the link when I've finished it. If anyone who isn't on my list would like an invite when they come in, send me your address (email or actual) and I'll add you to my list.

Last week I found that, instead of my exhibit being a one person show for the 3 weeks it will be up, I will be sharing the gallery with a photographer, Peter Goldberg, for the first week (then I'll add more paintings to make it a one person for the next two weeks).

I hear that he will be exhibiting photos of the CSO, the huge sewer tunnel that is being drilled under Providence that will divert the rainwater that sometimes overwhelmed our sewage treatment plant and caused sewage to flow into the bay. I actually went down into the tunnel shortly after they started drilling and wanted to do a series of paintings about it. I never did get back underground though -- so many paintings, so little time! I did take a lot of photos and put together a couple of slideshows (The Utility Shaft and The Main Shaft) of my subterranean journey. I'm not surprised to see another artist inspired by the project, and am curious to see the photos myself.

I'm published (kind of)

I was very excited the other day to get a package on my porch containing two books from the Cambridge University Press. About 6 months ago I got an email about using one of my paintings, "Pool of Water", that the author had seen on the web, for a book cover for their new introduction to the poet Sylvia Plath. Hoping it wasn't a scam, I looked into it, and everything checked out legit. Luckily I had a good slide, as I had sold the painting a while ago, so I traded the slide for a modest check and the result was this little book! I never did learn how they stumbled on to my painting among all the others out there on the web, but I guess you never know what posting your work will bring.

Just couldn't resist

Ok, it's not art, or nature, but after last night I needed it to uncringe myself...

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Grant me

Once again, I made my yearly trek over to the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts on deadline day (Oct. 1) to drop off my application for the RISCA artist grant. RISCA is cool in that they anticipate the last minute rush and set up a table just inside the door of the Capitol Building where the Council has its offices so that one can just park in the drop-off lane and rush in with the application. Us busy artists appreciate that! I also appreciated seeing my friend Liz Keithline, a fine artist herself, behind the table. She is perfect for the arts council, seeming to know everyone and everything going on in the arts community in R.I. (and beyond) and having a curiousity and excitement about all of it. (and she has nothing to do with actually choosing the grantees -- so I have no ulterior motives here!)

As I was chatting with Liz my eye was caught by the large and intricate paintings The Atrium Gallery behind her. The exhibit was of paintings by Augustin Patino. I didn't have a lot of time to look, but the more I did, the more I saw in the paintings. The work was full of detail without being fussy, the best being the piles of wrecked cars spreading in fungus-like patches over the apocalyptical landscapes. It's a show a show definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.